KARACHI: The federal government has been asked to provide at least 150,000 vials of polio vaccine to the provincial authorities for inoculating international passengers for the next six months as per travel restrictions imposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Pakistan for its share of polio cases recorded in the world this year, officials said on Friday.
“At present we get the vaccine for our children aged less than five years, which is not sufficient to be spared for the elders as well,” said Dr Mazhar Khamisani, who heads the expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) of Sindh, while speaking to Dawn.
Sindh health officials said they had sent a letter to Islamabad on Friday asking for the provision of at least 150,000 vials of polio vaccine (each vial contains 20 doses) for the next six months.
It was roughly estimated that over 50,000 people – Pakistanis and long-staying foreigners – left for other countries every week from the airports in Sindh. “However, this number could be far more than what we understand, which is why we are demanding a quota of vaccine that may be sufficient for the next six months,” said a senior official.
According to the travel restrictions, which have been placed for six months, all persons leaving Pakistan regardless of their citizenship or age are to be administered the polio vaccine.
The health department has already authorised all hospitals to issue polio vaccination certificates to international travellers.
In an order issued by the Sindh health department to the medical superintendents of all the hospitals, all executive district officers, health, district health officers, town health officers and the Sindh EPI project director, it was advised vaccination certificates be issued to international travellers.
The order referred to the WHO’s restriction asking for all residents and long-term visitors should receive a dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) between four weeks and 12 months prior to international travel from Pakistan.
It said those undertaking urgent travels (within four weeks) should receive a dose of polio vaccine at the time of departure for international travel. However, officials said, all the arrangements could come into effect once the authorities received the required polio doses from Islamabad.
“We are waiting at present, fingers crossed,” said an official hinting at the 15-day period given by the WHO to them for the preparedness.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association told a press conference that the PMA has been raising its voice for a long time but no one responded positively.
Among other measures, the PMA demanded legislation for exemplary punishment to the elements who attacked and killed polio workers.
